The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-23
TIKI WHOLESALE MURDER
OF THE SELL FAMILY IN KANSAS
EXPLAINED
By the Confession OF Wlllie-Bsw
He Butchered His Mother,
Brother and sister.

ST. LOUIS, March 22.-It will be REQ
objected that year ago this month,
one OF the bloodiest murders or rather
butcheries OF human being; known TO
the annals OF crime was committed
near the town OF Erie, Kan. j. W.
Sell, we'll to do fsrmer, and bis whole
family, excepting one SOD, Willie,
boy is years old, were found muir
dered, their heads being crushed and
their throats cut from ear to ear. On
A chair in the room was found a
Ratchet and butcher knife belonging
to the family, with which the bloody
work had been done, and the boy
Willie was found TO be covered with
blood from head TO foot. He was &C.
cordingly arrested, charged with the
crime, and at the July term oil the
District Court in 1885, wss. tried, con-
yicted OF murder in the fret degree,
and sentenced TO be hung, and In con-
formity to the laws OF that State is
now in the penitentisry awaiting the
signature of the Governor to the death
warrant. There has always been
great diversity Of opinion among the
people as to whether Willie Sell COM
mitted the murder. On the trial there
was no positive evidence and the
State utterly failed to find any motive
for the crime. On the contrary, 1t
wss proven that Willie was an excep-
tionaIly good boy, and that he and his
sister Ina were more than commonly
fond OF each other. The neighbors
all swore to the boys good disposition
and that he was favorite in the COM
munity, while his brother Waty, who
was older than he, was not 30 gener-
ally liked. The matter now, however,
seems to be set at rest, for statement
is printed this morning, in dispatches
from Erie, that the boy, after system
attic urging and pressing on the part OF
Hon J. Il. Woods, his guardian, and
his attorneys, made q confession
which fits 80 exactly to the facts and
circumstances brought out at the trial
that it settles the case de 6nitely. The
confession is in substance as follows:
another and sister Ida had gone 10
bad. Father, Waty and were still
up when the calves got out and came
up around the house. Waty Eat at
the table reading and father had just
taken his coat and pants of to go to
bed and told Waty to SO and put the
calves up. He said Let Willie do 1t.
won't 20 out now Father said he
should 90, aud Waty did not want to,
and while they were talking l went
out and got the Ratchet which was
sticking in a log Of wood outside the
door, aud came back to see II
Waty would 80 out with me.
l got the Ratchet to nail
up the calf pen. Father aud
Waty were there. quarrelling, and had
become very mad. When came In
where they were with the Ratchet
Waty snatched it out Of my hand and
struck father several times, at last
knocking him down. When / saw
what Waty had done ] caught hold o.
the Ratchet and ierked 1t out oil hi
hands, and, striking at Waty, hit hin
on the head, and he fell down on tn
floor, and supposed that killed him
Then mother, seeing what was beiDI
done, jumped out OF ths bed scream
ing, and, before thought what l wa
doing, l struck her. Iua, my sister
at that time raised up In led and
screamed, and don't know why die
il, but / struck her with the Ratchet
and she fell back. They were all ly
ing quiet. l took off oil my clothe
except my shirt and drawers, ther
pulled of Waty's pants, raised hin
up and carriad him ito the oths
room and put hirn into our bed. Al
tor that / went back and got tn
Ratchet and pounded his head all Il
pieces. l felt mad a. Waty becaus
he had killed father. l went to tn
cupboard and got the butche
knife and cut Waty's head near
of. Then l went back into tn
other room and sat down and l di
not know what to do. Then l though
that IL any OF them should come I
life they would say killed Waty; s
took the butcher knife and cut thei
throats TO make surs work OF 1t.
then blew out the lamp and eat dow
for several hours, but at last could M
stand it any longer aud again lit tn
lamp, and putting on my clothes, "a
over to MIR. Mendall's and told hi
that some one was at our house with
hatchetaud had hurt pa aud ma"
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